Swiss mountaineer Ueli Steck is currently in Nepal preparing for speed solo record attempts on some of the world’s highest mountains in an expedition he calls Project Himalaya.
The 34-year-old has in recent years set speed records on the three most famous North-facing walls in Europe: the Eiger, the Matterhorn and Grande Jorasses. On each occasion the ascent was timed with Suunto Core watches, and used a minimum amount of equipment, preferring to climb as light and fast as possible.
Steck’s Eiger record was set in February 2008 when he reached the summit in 2hr 47min 33sec. In December 2008 he ascended the Grandes Jorasses in the Mont Blanc massif, France, in 2hr 21min 26sec, and two weeks later he raced up the 4478m high Matterhorn in just 1hr 56min 40sec, a feat that would take most climbers at least twice that time.
In July 2009, Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck ticked the next box in his huge list of achievements, reaching the summit of his first 8000m high peak: Gasherbrum II in Pakistan. He is also the recipient of the 2008 Eiger Award and the 2009 Piolet d’Or.
Now he sets his sights on the taller peaks of the Himalayas and intends to use his lightweight, speed solo technique to conquer them.
To ready himself for this new campaign, Steck has spent a number of weeks undertaking a “spring training” regimen in the high mountains of Nepal. He has made two warm up climbs on the 6000m peaks of Lobuche and Cholatse.
Steck will time every ascent with Suunto Cores, which he also uses to measure his ascent and descent during his climbs, as well as to monitor changes in air pressure with the barometer function. He also uses a t6d to keep tabs on his fitness, saying, “It's the perfect system to control my training.”
Keep up to date with the latest news from Project Himalaya on the "Sports News" section and www.himalayaspeed.com.
Image by Robert Bösch